What is social construction disability, the medical model of disability, and the social model of disability?
Being disabled is generally part of the human experience. One way or the other most of us will come to face this reality at some point in life.
Although it can depressing to look back to the old day when life was all vibrant, it’s important those with disabilities are accepted by the public.
In today’s society, people with disability are perceived as a separate group that requires attention to help them get around with their everyday life. Their physical condition does not make them any less of a member of society.
Social Construction of Disability
The social construction view of disability describes disability not just as an individual experience or medical condition, but as a socially constructed event that incorporates the experience of people living with disabilities in interaction with their environment (Jones; 1996).
We all live in a society that influences our everyday life that we hardly notice. Our environment can alter whatever characteristics we were born with and either make our life easier or harder.
Providing and distributing basic resources like water, clothing, food, and shelter have a huge effect on disability. This is important as several disabling physical damage is caused due to malnutrition.
The environment may also be a contributing factor to disabling physical damage. For example, some disabling diseases are contracted from contaminated drinking water.
There have been several cases where residents of a community are only left with the option to use contaminated water. Some of the recorded disabling diseases were caused by the consumption of toxic waste.
Additionally, there are other social factors that can damage people’s bodies. A typical example is tolerance of high-risk working conditions, low public safety standards, or total neglect of children.
The social factors capable of damaging people’s bodies always affect other groups in society more than others.
Also Read: What Are the Sociological Concepts? (Tips for Students)
The Social Model of Disability
According to Medium.com, the social model of disability often identifies negative attitudes, systemic barriers, and exclusion by society and it directly identifies that society plays a major role in disabling people.
While physical, intellectual, or psychological alternation may cause individual deterioration, these don’t have to result to disability unless society fails to fulfil its responsibility to unite people.
The Medical Model of Disability
The medical model of disability tends to believe that managing illness or disability is more about identifying the illness or disability from a clinical perspective.
Additionally, the medical model believes that society should invest resources in healthcare in other to cure disabilities and allow those affected to live a comfortable life.
Social Construction of Disability
The examples of the social construction of disability are as follows.
Social Construction of Autism
In medical terms, autism is a neurological deficit that requires correction.
According to Helpfulprofessors.com, social institutions like primary schools implemented measures to correct people diagnosed with medical conditions.
Autism is more understandable as a neurological deficit rather than a natural disability. With this social construction perspective, it’s quite understandable that autistic people don’t need to be fixed.
People with autism only need to be accepted by society for who they are, for their uniqueness, and gifts.
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Social Construction of Students with Disabilities
There are several barriers in educational institutions that may prevent people with disabilities to succeed.
For example, a pupil who is physically disabled may struggle to get around the classroom. This may hinder the pupil to participate in the classroom or gain access to supportive resources.
Social constructionists will see such a situation as being unfair to people with disabilities. To them, the classroom layouts make people with disability to be at a disadvantage and not because of their physical condition.
Disability in the Workplace
An employee’s value is measured by how productive he is. This simply means that the more expensive it is to employ an individual, the more productive he should be.
People with disabilities are at a disadvantage as they may require additional assistance to complete their daily tasks.
The social construction of disability is implemented in the workplace by employers who are more concerned about being more productive and less productive.
Disability Representation in the Media
Most of the superhero characters we see on the big screen today are usually able-bodied men and women.
We have seen heroes of different kinds and they all reinforce a specific social construction of disability, a common concept that people who are disabled cannot become superheroes.
The common narrative portrayed in the media remains that heroes of any kind must be physically capable to function.
Disabled People as Apolitical
Every citizen deserves to participate in the civil exercise of voting. However, people with disabilities may struggle to exercise their civic duty during elections as little or no attempt is made to make voting more accessible.
During the 2020 presidential election in the United States, 11% of voters with disabilities complained about certain barriers.
Disabled People as Asexual
There is a misconception about people with disabilities not having or experiencing sexual desires.
People with disabilities also have blood flowing through their veins just like any able-bodied person. They experience sexual desire and in the most difficult physical condition conceive and give birth.
The social construction of individuals who are disabled as asexual tends to marginalize them.
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Social Construction of Mental Disorder
French philosopher Michel Foucault argued that mental disorder is a social construct.
Foucault argued that the social idea of mental disorder has changed over the years and it’s now a social construct.
During the Renaissance era, people suffering from mental disorders were seen to be wise. Mad people back then had the ability to reveal hidden truths about the world.
They were positioned as outcasts during the classical era and now in the 21st century, mad people are seen as sick. These days’ mad people are confined to mental institutions to undergo psychological mental repair.
Social Construction of Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are handled as individual disability and require an individual approach to remediation.
A student with dyslexia may have been socially constructed as unintelligent at some point. However, we would realize that a student with dyslexia is more or less intelligent than other students.
Architecture and Urban Planning
For social constructionists, architecture and urban design are built for individuals without disabilities.
The stairs, corridors, street crossings, and doors can prevent people with disabilities access urban living like other people.
Also Read: 7 Pros and Cons of Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
Disability and Masculinity
Masculinity has led several men to feel that it’s inappropriate to show weakness. Because of this, men tend to hide their mental or physical disability to avoid being seen as unmasculine or effeminate.
Many men in today’s society will refuse to seek help for learning disorders, mental issues, or physical problems. They must main their status as bold and strong men in society.
Conclusion
In today’s society, people with disability are perceived as a separate group that requires attention to help them get around with their everyday life. Their physical condition does not make them any less of a member of society.
People with disabilities deserve to exercise their civic responsibility in society.
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References
- HelpfulProfessors: Social Construction Of Disability: Definition & 10 Examples
- Medium.com: The Social Construction of Disability
- Moodle: The Social Construction of Disability (Wendell, Susan (1996). The Rejected Body. New York : Routledge)
- ResearchGate: Social construction of disability.
- SageJournals: The Social–Construction of Disability in Organizations: Why Employers Resist Reasonable Accommodation
- Academia.edu: Social construction of disability
- SpringerLink: The Social Construction of the Disability Problem